L.L.
starting to spend too much on rocks
Great Pyrenee?s Lover Extraordinaire
Member since January 2008
Posts: 135
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Post by L.L. on Mar 5, 2008 23:35:12 GMT -5
This may sound like a stupid question, but I need suggestions for a cabbing unit that I could use while lying down. After you finish laughing please read on.
Due to a nerve disease in my back I can't sit or stand long at all so I spend most of the day on my couch or in a zero gravity chair. I can handle maybe 30 minutes at a time either sitting or standing and by then my body starts to give up on me and it's back to lying down again. I wouldn't get much cabbing done in 30 minutes I don't think. I had to try out my new WF saw last night so I pushed myself a bit, and haven't been able to get up at all today.
If you can picture it, my thought is to have my son build me a sturdy bench at the right height that I can fit a zero gravity chair under it out in my shop. Something similar to how I have my laptop setup right now, and I manage quite a bit of time on it each day. I would want to use something that would keep most of the mess confined. Anything that would end up on the floor would obviously end up on me I know I would get pretty nasty no matter what. I just would prefer to at least stay a little dry since I don't have much heat in my shop. Of course that won't be an issue much longer this year.
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snivlem
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since February 2008
Posts: 167
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Post by snivlem on Mar 5, 2008 23:41:31 GMT -5
Wear a waterproof suit. The vinyl keeps you both warm and dry. Outdoor section of sporting goods for like $20.
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Post by captbob on Mar 5, 2008 23:46:45 GMT -5
I don't know what your budget is, but I don't see why a small cabbing unit like a Genie or a Pixie couldn't be set up on (sorry I don't know the proper name for it) one of those tray type tables that you get food on in a hospital bed. The kind with wheels on them that you could push out of the way when you wanted to.
There are also machines called flap laps that MAY work, but I would think you would need to be more above the machine to use one of those.
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L.L.
starting to spend too much on rocks
Great Pyrenee?s Lover Extraordinaire
Member since January 2008
Posts: 135
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Post by L.L. on Mar 5, 2008 23:51:39 GMT -5
Yeah, I've seen those flat lap type rigs, and I don't think that would work very good for me. One of the wheel type units would probably work better. As for budget, I'm not sure yet. My wife is into rocks and gems also, and wouldn't mind cabbing some herself, so we may use the money from Uncle Sam when it comes (if I can keep myself from buying a new HD tv first).
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Post by catmandewe on Mar 5, 2008 23:54:17 GMT -5
How about settin up a cabbing machine underneath a table, kind of like a modified massage table, with you being able to see under it and use your hands underneath it?
Tony
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Post by captbob on Mar 5, 2008 23:58:14 GMT -5
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L.L.
starting to spend too much on rocks
Great Pyrenee?s Lover Extraordinaire
Member since January 2008
Posts: 135
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Post by L.L. on Mar 6, 2008 0:05:33 GMT -5
Tony, My wife suggested the massage table type deal to, but I'm not all that comfortable on my stomach either. If I could cab while in the hot tub I'd really be set.
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Post by captbob on Mar 6, 2008 0:09:43 GMT -5
then just buy a boat load of wet sandpaper and hop in! ;D
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Post by rockds on Mar 6, 2008 0:12:14 GMT -5
What Tony said is about what I was thinking. A small unit under your "chair" with a whole cut out for your head, slots for your arms. I have a Pixie (6-4"wheels) and it works well with little to no mess.
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Post by Titania on Mar 6, 2008 8:01:15 GMT -5
I think a small unit like a Pixie would be just the thing. I don't really see any reason why you couldn't use it lying down...they only tricky part might be seeing what you're doing, but I'm sure you can learn to work around that.
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Post by bobby1 on Mar 6, 2008 14:11:37 GMT -5
Mount your HD TV above it and multitask!
Bob
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Post by rocklicker on Mar 6, 2008 20:20:55 GMT -5
I'm glad you brought this up because my back was out and not doing rocks was driving me stir crazy. So I've given this a lot of thought. Along the lines of what Tony suggested, something like this: www.farlang.com/gemstones/farrington-gems-and-gem-minerals/tmp1B5-40I know you said being on your stomache was a problem but if you could have the thing at an angle, like have a board with a pivot point that sort of leans you up in front of the machine (pivot point in case you need to get up quick). Steve |
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Post by akansan on Mar 7, 2008 13:21:53 GMT -5
Interesting picture, Steve. That would probably feel pretty good for a solid day's cutting.
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Post by Titania on Mar 7, 2008 13:51:02 GMT -5
Interesting picture, Steve. That would probably feel pretty good for a solid day's cutting. My boobs hurt just looking at that contraption! That would be just too much squishing for the girls! Of course, L.L. doesn't have to worry about stuff like that, I don't think.  |
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L.L.
starting to spend too much on rocks
Great Pyrenee?s Lover Extraordinaire
Member since January 2008
Posts: 135
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Post by L.L. on Mar 8, 2008 0:37:09 GMT -5
Thanks all for your responses. I've been off-line because I've just spent the better part of a day getting my laptop straight after getting a virus. Even with av software it snuck in one me. I won't use Avira anymore, I'll stick to Norton or McAfee from now on. The worse part is I have multi- computer licenses for both, but just never bothered gettting rid of Avira which was already loaded.
Anyway, I've seen similar pictures in some of my gem books with the cutters laying on their stomaches. That sure looks like it would be rough going all day even without a bad back. Some of the pictures I've seen look like the wheels were several feet tall. I know the early ones ran off of water mills with the huge leather belts turning the shafts just like in a grist mill. It looks like in the picture Steve posted the wheels may be running off of some other power source.
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L.L.
starting to spend too much on rocks
Great Pyrenee?s Lover Extraordinaire
Member since January 2008
Posts: 135
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Post by L.L. on Mar 8, 2008 19:50:43 GMT -5
Until I can afford a better rig I've decided to make a couple of guards like Rockygibraltar built in the homemade equipment for use on an old grinding unit I have here. I've already ordered an 80 grit and 220 grit diamond wheels to mount on the unit for shaping the cabs and I have already constructed a recirculating water supply. I will do the polishing in the Lot-O vibe. That will mean I can spend less time at the cabbing machine anyway. I'll see how this works for me.
Lee
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Post by akansan on Mar 8, 2008 20:35:58 GMT -5
Take pictures when you finished getting it all worked out. I know there are a couple people here who suffer back problems that it might just start a revolution in cab cutting!
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L.L.
starting to spend too much on rocks
Great Pyrenee?s Lover Extraordinaire
Member since January 2008
Posts: 135
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Post by L.L. on Mar 8, 2008 20:51:52 GMT -5
Will do. Since I can't do much on it at one time, and I'm going to need my son to build the bench portion for me it may take a week or two.
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Post by BearCreekLapidary on Mar 9, 2008 11:10:44 GMT -5
Hello L.L.
Necessity is the mother of all inventions ...
There are all kinds of set-ups that might be of use to you ... the only problem is trying to design what will work best for you.
Sit down with your son and make a list of what it is that you ultimately want to build. For sitting, laying, etc. and then start from there ... and keep a detailed process of what worked and what didn't ... in the end you may just develop a very useful instrument for people with chronic back problems to better enjoy life with.
I helped a young man develop a lap top design cabbing unit that set on his wheelchair. We used a Pixie and designed it to slide on and slide off with minimal muscle involvement. It worked quite well and I have since lost touch with that young man ... so, I do not know if he is still working with cabs or not.
I did not do it with intentions of developing a marketable product ... although, it probably would have went over quite well ... as there are tens of thousands of people for what ever reason ... that are confined to wheelchairs ... that do not have the means readily available to them to discover new ways to enjoy life ... no matter what limitations they are facing.
Best of luck with your project and remember ... it may just be something that can be marketed to the general public. If you play your cards right ... you might even be able to get a financial grant for the development of such a product that is specifically designed to help the physically challenged. It would be worth looking into.
Sincerely,
Bear
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